Traction shoe



June 10,1947. W, B GREGG i 422,092

TRACTION SHOE Filed Feb. 21, 1947 l INVENTOR. R W/frs-aom G/MGG.

Patented `lune 10, '1947 UNITED STATE-s aeaaoa 'rRAC'rIoN si'o'' Willis' tli Gregg, lt'ufi',v iio: ApplicationFebruary 21, 1947, Serialio. TS'-i- 6 claims. (c1. tte-4229i l This invention relates `to devices for selective association with the tired Wheels ofautomotive vehicles to enhance the tractive grip thereof, and has as an object to provide an'improved traction shoe unit conveniently mountable on and removable from conventional automotive Wheels.

Aiurther object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and unitarycombination of elements constituting an efcient automotive vehicle traction shoe.

A further objectk of the invention is to provide an improved surface=gripping Wear face in an automotive vehicle traction shoe.

A further object of the invention is to ,provide an improvedy arrangement of centrifugally-responsive, extensible and retractable grip lugs in association with the wear face ofa traction shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved traction shoe wear face characterized by a grip eiTect automatically proportioned 4 to the nature and condition of the surface thereby engaged.

A further object lof the invention is to provide an improved traction shoe employable to minimize slipping and skidding on, and with a :nini-V mum of damage to, paved'and analogous hard surfaces; e

With the foregoing and other objects in View, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination ci elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Y Figure -1 is a side elevation of aconventional, tired automobile Wheel as equipped with four of my improved shoes positioned for practical use. Figure 2 is a cross section,v on an enlarged scale,- taken substantially` on the indicated line 22 of Figurevl. Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the indicated line 3-3 of Figure 2. l

n the construction of the improvement as shown, a conventionalv automobile wheel of openspoke type is represented as including the usual rim l and pneumatic tire Ill mounted on said rim, said wheel and tire constituting a Vtraction member Whereto the improved shoe is applicable, in any desiredL number ofvunits, for enhanced tractive effect relative to soft or slippery surfaces.

TheimproVed traction shoe unit of the inven-y tion includes a body member I2 of rigidmaterial;

such as metal, f'ormed'to substantially yU-shaped cross section in any convenient or desired man-4 ner.` The body member I2 is transversely and longitudinally contoured, sized and Worked, to

telescope' radially over,l closelyembrace, and lit enseres' egeifiee .nie need eee eel-eeen eide*- portions' of the tire Il throughout the eritie body member length, the spaced, free margins of the member preferably being suitably cne ved and Worked, asatvluto engage' with and l against epee, ofthe nm m margins' when the tire is reicjeived'l andlfull'y seated Within the said member1. `rine length ofthe body member l2 .ein curnferen't'ially tle tire is'` determined by vend planes' which preferably" converge froni'ltne' closed' Outer and' towers 'the oidejiriner side of the menber to ue sutstantiaiiy radially ci the wheel 'when' the seid meneer lis fire-meu ted, the separation between said een pji adjusted tue u g fe l prende efeibef havingv the; desire igth, etnvezai'eriny on the OrC f e-th Vt MEV-twelfth 0f theltiu circumference. 'Sec1`ir`ed` xf'te'riorlytoA and adjacent a.` ir'e side margin f one side Wall tl' been' member f2, eeby ineens of rivets f4', e nj;- unfg l-s' ningediy' e Ween at: its edge closest the Seid niemeer' nier wim` one ena of e sexuele strep' It, of' suitabi'e'ejiz'e and materiel, tneree by disposed to engage betvveenfad'jacent wheel Spokes t laterally trav" 'a vefili'tl Di'li face' of the' AIi lll, 'V uiv `n with its free'end member i2.

`shoulders said cap is removably and replaceably secured, in covering relation with the body member crown, by means of cap screws 20, or the like, engaging through inwardly-relieved, apertured corners of the cap and with threaded seats intersecting said shoulders. The cap I9 is of substantial thickness and is formed with a relatively-extensive, interior recess opening toward and closable by Vthe crown portion of the body member I2 to provide a hollow chamber of uniformV depth radially of the kwheel and so disposed as to position its principal exterior wall as the tread portion of the assembly. The cap I9 convex por- Y tion constituting the exterior wall of the cap re-` cess is intersected by a plurality ofl like, circular apertures, in rany desired specific pattern or arrangement, axially radial thereof, andla headed stud 2l, formed with a cylindrical stem portion and of a length slightly lessV than the overall depth of the capA i9, is end-engaged within and to slide axially through each ofsaid apertures with its headed Vendr within the cap recess and directed to bear against the crown of the body As so formed and mounted, each of the studs 2i is held against "disengagement fromA its slide aperture, is independently free to reciprocate through its slide aperture between an inner limit determined by engagement of its head against the body member crown and character- 1 ized by retraction of the stud outer end inwardly of the cap IS exterior surface and an outer limit determined by engagement of the stud head with the cap recess-limiting inner surface and characterized by extension of the stud stem outwardly beyond the cap exterior surface, and is free to rotate relative to and within its slide aperture.

' The studs 2i'constitute the traction-enhancing elements of the improved, shoe and hence are preferably of hard, tough material capable of withstanding the impacts andl abrasions to which they are subject without deformation or destruction. When a shoe assembly is mounted in operative relation with a vehicle wheel, the centrifugal Vforces generated as Yan incident of wheel rotation tend to urge the studs 2l of the assembly outwardly of their slide apertures and to the limit oftheir stem projections relative to the cap tread surface, in" which position the stud stems function as lugs productive of gripping effect in and against soft, slippery surfaces, such as are characteristic of mud and snow, thereby checking the tendency of the wheel to slip and effectively transmitting the wheely tractive inuence. When traversing pavements and like hard surfaces, rotation of the shoe-equipped wheel brings the edge or corner'margins of the projecting stud 2i stems into biting engagement with the traction surface sutciently to check non-rolling reaction of the wheel onthe surface, and as the wheel advances l the said studs are retractively pressed within the l interior of the shoe cap and out of such projection i beyond the cap surface as would result in damage to the hard surface vbeing traversed.

Since changes in the form, construction, and

` arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had Without departing from the spirit, of my invention, I wishto be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims, rather than sby any specific del tailsV of the illustrative showing and foregoing description. i

I claim as'my invention: Y l. A traction shoe for removable and replaceable association with a tired automotive vehicle Wheel, comprising a rigid body member embracingly engageable over and about an arcuate segment of a wheel-mounted tire, selectively engagej able and releaseable means for securing said body .member in mounted relation with the tire, a shallow, closed chamber on the tread portion of said member, and a plurality of studs accommodated in said chamber in centrifugally-extensible,

pressure-retractable, freely-slidable r el a t i o n throughj and radially of said chamber exterior Wall'.- l

2. rA traction shoe for removable and replaceable association with a tired automotive vehicle Wheel, lcomprising a rigid body member embrac-v ingly engageable over and about an arcuate segment of a wheel-mounted tire, spaced, free side margins on said member conformably engageable against ,periphery portions of the tire-mounting rim, means' for securing said body member in mounted relation with the tire and rim, a shallow.

closed Vchamber on the tread portion of said member, and a plurality of studs spacedly accommodated in said chambery in centrifugally-extensible, pressure-retractable, freely-slidable relation through and radially of said'chamber exterior Wall. y

3. A traction shoe for removable and replaceable association with a tired automotive vehicle wheel, comprising a rigid body member having tread and side wall-portions coniormably engageable over and about an arcuate segment 'of a wall-mounted tire, selectively engageable and releasable means for securing said body member in embracing relation with the tire, a cap removably ooveringsaid member tread portion and cooperating' therewith to denne a shallow, closed chamber, apertures intersecting theexterior wall mounted relation with a tire, longitudinally-arcuate shoulders projecting exteriorly from the member sidewalls inwardly of the tread portion crown,

a cap seated on and secured to said shoulders in covering relation with the member tread portion and cooperating therewith to define a shallow, closed chamber, a plurality of like apertures intersecting the cap portion forming the exterior wall of said chambeiya stud stem-engaged in and slidable axially through each of said apertures radially of theY cap, and a head on the inner end of each stud within said'chamber to limit axial` displacement of the associated stud.V n

5. In a traction shoe of the character described having a rigid body member conformed tor embracingly engage over andv about an arcuate segment of a wheel-mounted tire and means forv selectively securing said member in mounted relation with the tire', a shallow, closedV chamber coextensive with and constituting the membertread portion, and a plurality of studs accommodated in said chamberin centriiugally-extensible, pressure-retractable, lfreely-slidable relation through and'radially of said chamber exterior wall.

6. In a traction shoe of the character described r having a rigid body member conformed to embracingly engage over and about an arcuate seg- 'ment of a Wheel-mounted tire and means for securing said member in mounted relation with the tire, a laterally and longitudinally crowned tread portion on said member, longitudinallyarcuate shoulders exteriorly projecting from said mem-'ber as transverse limits of said tread portion, a cap seated on and secured to said shoulder in parallel, bridging relation over said tread portion and cooperating with the latter to dene a shallow, closed chamber, a plurality of like apertures 10 intersecting the cap portion forming the exterior Wall of said chamber, a cylindrical stud slidably and rotatably engaging through each of said apertures radially of said tread portion, and a head on the end of each said studs Within said chamber alternatively engageably with said cap and tread portion to limit axial displacement of the associated stud.

WILKS BOOTH GREGG. 

